Holy cow, was last week rough for the Boilermakers. Purdue got absolutely demolished by Notre Dame in a game that was not even close. Last week, the strategy to victory for Purdue was to come out and score fast and for the Boilermakers to play solid defense. They did neither. Now, they get to try to bounce back by travelling to Oregon State; and hope to do to them what Notre Dame did to Purdue. It’s Purdue vs. Oregon State in Week 4 of the college football season. With that, let’s look at the history of the Boilermakers and the Beavers.
Purdue vs. Oregon State Matchup History
There’s not much of a history between these two teams. Their first matchup was back in 1967 when the Beavers came to West Lafayette and beat Purdue 22-14. The only other time they have played was in 2021. That game was also in West Lafayette, where Purdue beat Oregon State 30-21. This will be their third matchup and the first one on the West Coast.
Key Players for Purdue
Hudson Card
Hudson Card finds himself back in the spotlight for Purdue. He was awful against Notre Dame. Yes, he was under pressure more than a Queen song. That does not explain his 11 of 24 for 124 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
If Card truly wants to make a name for himself in a positive way, he needs to come back in this game. He needs to put up 200+ passing yards, at least two passing TDs, and a completion percentage over 65 this game. If he can do that and Purdue wins, that would likely be enough to keep his starting job and help him in the goal of making the NFL as a Day 3 draft pick.
The Defensive Front Seven
The front seven of Purdue needs to step up this week. They allowed 44 rushing attempts for 362 yards and six touchdowns last week. On top of that, Purdue only had three sacks against Notre Dame’s mediocre offennsive line. Those sacks came from Dillon Thieneman, Shitta Sillah, and a split between Will Heldt and Kydran Jenkins.
Heldt, Jenkins, and Shila played well and helped contain the QBs for Notre Dame, but the rest of the unit needs to step up. If even five of the seven play as well as they can, Purdue should be able to get three sacks weekly no matter who they face.
Purdue should not be allowing running backs like Jadarian Price to run for 90 yards. They should not allow a QB with a hurt shoulder run for 100 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The coaches need to get this front seven together and make sure no one gets through.
If they need to, bring in Coach Yoast from Remember The Titans and have him yell at them “We blitz all night! I don’t want them to gain another yard!”
Dillon Thieneman
Thieneman needs to start off this game playing like he always does – playing like he’s the second coming of Troy Polamalu.
Late in the second half last week, he was so focused on the run that he let Notre Dame’s tight end walk into the end zone on a play that should not have happened. Thieneman needs to keep his head clear and trust his teammates to stop the run. Purdue needs to play more zone coverage and take some pressure off of Thieneman. Until that happens, he needs to ball out from the secondary.
Key Players for Oregon State
Running Backs
The running backs for Oregon State have been the key to Oregon State’s 2-1 start. Both Anthony Hankerson and Jamious Griffen are playing well, both having 45+ carries and 275+ rushing yards.
While neither have scored a rushing touchdown yet, it’s a matter of when, not if. These two RBs are running the offense better than most two-headed back fields in college football. They both add a bit in the passing game, but both are primarily rushers. If they get going, it’ll spell bad news for the Boilermakers.
Nikko Taylor
Nikko Taylor is a name to know on Oregon State’s defense. So far this season, this linebacker is seventh in tackles and leads the team in sacks. He is also the only player on the defense to recover a fumble.
Taylor is the Beaver’s leader on the defense. No, he may not have a lot of notable stats nationwide, but he is the soul of this side of the ball.
Purdue Boilermakers’ Route to Victory vs. Oregon State
Last week, this section was right, but Purdue failed to follow through. This time, they need to follow through if they want to save their season before Big Ten play. Are you ready for this? It’s simple advice: stop the run.
The Beavers have nearly 100 more rushing yards between two guys than the whole offense has receiving yards. If Purdue can clean up their offense and can manage to stop the run, Purdue will win this game.
Hunter Greene
Hunter started writing for The League Winners in the summer of 2021. Hunter has been playing fantasy football for about a decade, starting in middle school. Now he’s a professional landscaper and avid Colts and Purdue fan.